the six enneads-第213章

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ut　that　would　imply　a　previous　ignorance；　it　would　be　dependent　upon　that　Intellection　in　order　to　knowledge　of　itself；　but　it　is　the　self…sufficing。　Yet　this　absence　of　self…knowing　does　not　comport　ignorance；　ignorance　is　of　something　outside…　a　knower　ignorant　of　a　knowable…　but　in　the　Solitary　there　is　neither　knowing　nor　anything　unknown。　Unity；　self…present；　it　has　no　need　of　self…intellection：　indeed　this　〃self…presence〃　were　better　left　out；　the　more　surely　to　preserve　the　unity；　we　must　eliminate　all　knowing　and　all　association；　all　intellection　whether　internal　or　external。　It　is　not　to　be　though　of　as　having　but　as　being　Intellection；　Intellection　does　not　itself　perform　the　intellective　act　but　is　the　cause　of　the　act　in　something　else；　and　cause　is　not　to　be　identified　with　caused：　most　assuredly　the　cause　of　all　is　not　a　thing　within　that　all。　　　　　This　Principle　is　not；　therefore；　to　be　identified　with　the　good　of　which　it　is　the　source；　it　is　good　in　the　unique　mode　of　being　The　Good　above　all　that　is　good。　　　　　7。　If　the　mind　reels　before　something　thus　alien　to　all　we　know；　we　must　take　our　stand　on　the　things　of　this　realm　and　strive　thence　to　see。　But；　in　the　looking；　beware　of　throwing　outward；　this　Principle　does　not　lie　away　somewhere　leaving　the　rest　void；　to　those　of　power　to　reach；　it　is　present；　to　the　inapt；　absent。　In　our　daily　affairs　we　cannot　hold　an　object　in　mind　if　we　have　given　ourselves　elsewhere；　occupied　upon　some　other　matter；　that　very　thing　must　be　before　us　to　be　truly　the　object　of　observation。　So　here　also；　preoccupied　by　the　impress　of　something　else；　we　are　withheld　under　that　pressure　from　becoming　aware　of　The　Unity；　a　mind　gripped　and　fastened　by　some　definite　thing　cannot　take　the　print　of　the　very　contrary。　As　Matter；　it　is　agreed；　must　be　void　of　quality　in　order　to　accept　the　types　of　the　universe；　so　and　much　more　must　the　soul　be　kept　formless　if　there　is　to　be　no　infixed　impediment　to　prevent　it　being　brimmed　and　lit　by　the　Primal　Principle。　　　　　In　sum；　we　must　withdraw　from　all　the　extern；　pointed　wholly　inwards；　no　leaning　to　the　outer；　the　total　of　things　ignored；　first　in　their　relation　to　us　and　later　in　the　very　idea；　the　self　put　out　of　mind　in　the　contemplation　of　the　Supreme；　all　the　commerce　so　closely　There　that；　if　report　were　possible；　one　might　become　to　others　reporter　of　that　communion。　　　　　Such　converse；　we　may　suppose；　was　that　of　Minos；　thence　known　as　the　Familiar　of　Zeus；　and　in　that　memory　he　established　the　laws　which　report　it；　enlarged　to　that　task　by　his　vision　There。　Some；　on　the　other　hand；　there　will　be　to　disdain　such　citizen　service；　choosing　to　remain　in　the　higher：　these　will　be　those　that　have　seen　much。　　　　　God…　we　read…　is　outside　of　none；　present　unperceived　to　all；　we　break　away　from　Him；　or　rather　from　ourselves；　what　we　turn　from　we　cannot　reach；　astray　ourselves；　we　cannot　go　in　search　of　another；　a　child　distraught　will　not　recognise　its　father；　to　find　ourselves　is　to　know　our　source。　　　　　8。　Every　soul　that　knows　its　history　is　aware；　also；　that　its　movement；　unthwarted；　is　not　that　of　an　outgoing　line；　its　natural　course　may　be　likened　to　that　in　which　a　circle　turns　not　upon　some　external　but　on　its　own　centre；　the　point　to　which　it　owes　its　rise。　The　soul's　movement　will　be　about　its　source；　to　this　it　will　hold；　poised　intent　towards　that　unity　to　which　all　souls　should　move　and　the　divine　souls　always　move；　divine　in　virtue　of　that　movement；　for　to　be　a　god　is　to　be　integral　with　the　Supreme；　what　stands　away　is　man　still　multiple；　or　beast。　　　　　Is　then　this　〃centre〃　of　our　souls　the　Principle　for　which　we　are　seeking？　　　　　We　must　look　yet　further：　we　must　admit　a　Principle　in　which　all　these　centres　coincide：　it　will　be　a　centre　by　analogy　with　the　centre　of　the　circle　we　know。　The　soul　is　not　a　circle　in　the　sense　of　the　geometric　figure　but　in　that　it　at　once　contains　the　Primal　Nature　＇as　centre＇　and　is　contained　by　it　＇as　circumference＇；　that　it　owes　its　origin　to　such　a　centre　and　still　more　that　the　soul；　uncontaminated；　is　a　self…contained　entity。　　　　　In　our　present　state…　part　of　our　being　weighed　down　by　the　body；　as　one　might　have　the　feet　under　water　with　all　the　rest　untouched…　we　bear…　ourselves　aloft　by　that…　intact　part　and；　in　that；　hold　through　our　own　centre　to　the　centre　of　all　the　centres；　just　as　the　centres　of　the　great　circles　of　a　sphere　coincide　with　that　of　the　sphere　to　which　all　belong。　Thus　we　are　secure。　　　　　If　these　circles　were　material　and　not　spiritual；　the　link　with　the　centres　would　be　local；　they　would　lie　round　it　where　it　lay　at　some　distant　point：　since　the　souls　are　of　the　Intellectual；　and　the　Supreme　still　loftier；　we　understand　that　contact　is　otherwise　procured；　that　is　by　those　powers　which　connect　Intellectual　agent　with　Intellectual　Object；　this　all　the　more；　since　the　Intellect　grasps　the　Intellectual　object　by　the　way　of　similarity；　identity；　in　the　sure　link　of　kindred。　Material　mass　cannot　blend　into　other　material　mass：　unbodied　beings　are　not　under　this　bodily　limitation；　their　separation　is　solely　that　of　otherness；　of　differentiation；　in　the　absence　of　otherness；　it　is　similars　mutually　present。　　　　　Thus　the　Supreme　as　containing　no　otherness　is　ever　present　with　us；　we　with　it　when　we　put　otherness　away。　It　is　not　that　the　Supreme　reaches　out　to　us　seeking　our　communion：　we　reach　towards　the　Supreme；　it　is　we　that　become　present。　We　are　always　before　it：　but　we　do　not　always　look：　thus　a　choir；　singing　set　in　due　order　about　the　conductor；　may　turn　away　from　that　centre　to　which　all　should　attend：　let　it　but　face　aright　and　it　sings　with　beauty；　present　effectively。　We　are　ever　before　the　Supreme…　cut　off　is　utter　dissolution；　we　can　no　longer　be…　but　we　do　not　always　attend：　when　we　look；　our　Term　is　attained；　this　is　rest；　this　is　the　end　of　singing　ill；　effectively　before　Him；　we　lift　a　choral　song　full　of　God。　　　　　9。　In　this　choiring；　the　soul　looks　upon　the　wellspring　of　Life；　wellspring　also　of　Intellect；　beginning　of　Being；　fount　of　Good；　root　of　Soul。　It　is　not　that　these　are　poured　out　from　the　Supreme　lessening　it　as　if　it　were　a　thing　of　mass。　At　that　the　emanants　would　be　perishable；　but　they　are　eternal；　they　spring　from　an　eternal　principle；　which　produces　them　not　by　its　fragmentation　but　in　virtue　of　its　intact　identity：　therefore　they　too　hold　firm；　so　long　as　the　sun　shines；　so　long　there　will　be　light。　　　　　We　have　not　been　cut　away；　we　are　not　separate；　what　though　the　body…nature　has　closed　about　us　to　press　us　to　itself；　we　breathe　and　hold　our　ground　because　the　Supreme　does　not　give　and　pass　but　gives　on　for　ever；　so　long　as　it　remains　what　it　is。　　　　　Our　being　is　the　fuller　for　our　turning　Thither；　this　is　our　prosperity；　to　hold　aloof　is　loneliness　and　lessening。　Here　is　the　soul's　peace；　outside　of　evil；　refuge　taken　in　the　place　clean　of　wrong；　here　it　has　its　Act；　its　true　knowing；　here　it　is　immune。　Here　is　living；　the　true；　that　of　to…day；　all　living　apart　from　Him；　is　but　a　shadow；　a　mimicry。　Life　in　the　Supreme　is　the　native　activity　of　Intellect；　in　virtue　of　that　converse　it　brings　forth　gods；　brings　forth　beauty；　brings　forth　righteousness；　brings　forth　all　moral　good；　for　of　all　these　the　soul　is　pregnant　when　it　has　been　filled　with　God。　This　state　is　its　first　and　its　final；　because　from　God　it　comes；　its　good　lies　There；　and；　once　turned　to　God　again；　it　is　what　it　was。　Life　here；　with　the　things　of　earth；　is　a　sinking；　a　defeat；　a　failing　of　the　wing。　　　　　That　our　good　is　There　is　shown　by　the　very　love　inborn　with　the　soul；　hence　the　constant　linking　of　the　Love…God　with　the　Psyches　in　story　and　picture；　the　soul；　other　than　God　but　sprung　of　Him；　must　needs　love。　So　long　as　it　is　There；　it　holds　the　heavenly　love；　here　its　love　is　the　baser；　There　the　soul　is　Aphrodite　of　the　heavens；　here；　turned　harlot；　Aphrodite　of　the　public　ways：　yet　the　soul　is　always　an　Aphrodite。　This　is　the　intention　of　the　myth　which　tells　of　Aphrodite's　birth　and　Eros　born　with　her。　　　　　The　soul　in　its　nature　loves　God　and　longs　to　be　at　one　with　Him　in　the　noble　love　of　a　daughter　for　a　noble　father；　but　coming　to　human　birth　and　lured　by　the　courtships　of